His current group, the Bob Nieske 3, is a trio that is steeped in the tradition of jazz without being traditional. They swing hard but never play cliches; they play freely but never without intention and direction. In the trio, Bob is joined by elder statesman drummer Nat Mugavero, a legend for his profound, quirky musicality, and thirty-something trumpeter Phil Grenadier, a fiery and lyrical voice with the imagination to stand as the one-man front line of the Nieske 3.

Collectively the members have performed or recorded with Jimmy Giuffre, Stephane Grappelli, Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims, Joe Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Byrd, George Russell and the Living Time Orchestra, The Either/Orchestra, Attilla Zoller, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, and a host of others.

Of their approach, Nieske says: "The music comes from the individual. The way to write or play original music is to find a way of infusing the music with your essence... not to try to think up something that has never been done before or come up with far out crazy sounds. If you can get your essence into the music then you will have something original ...because there is only one of you. You can't get around it...play yourself. This is what we try to do."

On "Simplicity" the 3 are joined by the Lydian String Quartet: Daniel Stepner and Judith Eissenberg, violins; Mary Ruth Ray, viola, Rhonda Rider, violoncello. Since its formation in 1980, the Lydian String Quartet has inspired critical acclaim worldwide. The Quartet's interpretive mastery of such traditional repertoire as Haydn, Schubert, Beethoven and Ravel -- along with its special flair for contemporary music -- has won the ensemble prizes at international competitions in Canada, France and England, and the prestigious Naumburg Award for Chamber Music. Their spectacular skill and experience with new music allows them to bring out the best of composer Nieske's unique harmonic approach.

"The Bob Nieske 3 has taken on the challenge of exploring the wide open spaces of jazz music, without a guitar or piano to break up the sometimes jagged, sometimes fluid melodic interplay of trumpet and bass.